Fergie returns to face the music

Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been absent from United's Carrington training ground for most of the week but when he returned yesterday his first task was to check on the fitness of Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy ahead of another North West derby at Blackburn.

Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been absent from United's Carrington training ground for most of the week but when he returned yesterday his first task was to check on the fitness of Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy ahead of another North West derby at Blackburn.

Speculation surrounding the relationship between the influential pair and their manager has been rife in recent days, although the club have been eager to play down all the departure rumours.

While reports linking Keane with Celtic and Van Nistelrooy with Real Madrid will not disappear completely, of more immediate importance to Ferguson ahead of tomorrow's derby will be to find out whether his captain has recovered from the hamstring problem that aborted his international comeback and whether his top scorer is now over the thigh injury that prevented him from facing Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Rovers boss Graeme Souness will be mightily relieved at his side having achieved three consecutive wins to ensure top-flight football for next season after Italian defender Lorenzo Amoruso suffered a hamstring injury that will see him miss the last three matches of the campaign.

Blackburn still need one more point to make mathematically certain and Souness said: "It's a big blow to us. Amo has injured his hamstring in training and it looks like we might not see him again this season.

"Our medical staff are currently assessing the extent of the damage but you've got to be careful with hamstring injuries so he won't play against Manchester United this weekend and that could be it for him for the season now."

With Andy Todd out of favour following his refusal to be a substitute against Leeds, Nils-Eric Johansson is likely to play alongside Craig Short instead.